A neurocontroller is described
which generates the basic locomotion and controls the sensor-driven behavior
of a four-legged and a sixlegged walking machine. The controller utilizes
discrete-time neurodynamics, and is of modular structure. One module is
for processing sensor signals, one is a neural oscillator network serving
as a central pattern generator, and the third one is a so-called velocity
regulating network. These modules are small and their structures and their
functionalities are analyzable. In combination, they enable the machines
to autonomously explore an unknown environment, to avoid obstacles, and
to escape from corners or deadlock situations. The neurocontroller was developed
and tested first using a physical simulation environment, and then it was
successfully transferred to the physical walking machines. Locomotion is
based on a gait where the diagonal legs are paired and move together, e.g.
trot gait for the four-legged walking machine and tripod gait for the six-legged
walking machine. The controller developed is universal in the sense that
it can easily be adapted to different types of even-legged walking machines
without changing the internal structure and its parameters.

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Extension

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Description

1

Example
1: The reactive behavior of the four and six-legged walking machines
(AMOS-WD02 and -WD06) simulated on the physical simulator YARS. The
left panel shows the simulated walking machine with its virtual environment.
The right panel shows the reactive neurocontroller and the activation
of each neuron. (35.0 MB) avi

1

Example
2: The physical walking machines (AMOS-WD02 and -WD06) and their
reactive behaviors in different environmental situations. (21.0 MB)
avi